The Great Game of Government

Greene County, Mo.

Greene County implemented and practices Open Book Management (OBM) and Jack Stack’s The Great Game of Business (GGOB), in an effort to create widespread financial literacy in the organization. The county had struggled in managing its resources across various departments. Specifically, the cash balance in the county’s general fund had waned in recent years. With a tax increase fix off the table, the county needed an alternative to increase its cash balance.

The Solution

Improvement of communication within the organization

Implementation of department-wide huddles once a week to update on current events, educate about financial literacy, and inspire attendees

Monthly forecasting of revenues and expenditures with an open discussion environment

Creation of MiniGames by the employees to find solutions to problems, explore opportunities, or create efficiencies in their process

Embrace High Involvement Planning (HIP) sessions to plan for future obstacles or needs – we encourage public participation

Engagement of the employees and citizens

Establishment of the County’s Financial Advisory Board

Formation of educational materials to promote financial literacy of the organization with complementary tools provided on the County Dashboard for employees and citizens

The Results

It had long been standard practice for the county to do forecasting only when it came to creating budgets for the coming year. But with the help of the GGOB, county employees have become apt at forecasting throughout the year as a way to make proactive rather than reactive decisions.

Regular huddle attendees have stepped up to take responsibility for sharing what they learn with others in their department. The county has also implemented a dashboard with the latest numbers on its website: greenecountymo.gov.

The team at Greene County continues to share their story and open book management experience with other governmental entities across the State.

About 100 Brilliant Ideas at Work

Counties play an essential role in keeping America’s communities healthy, vibrant and safe. With public and private sector partners, we pursue innovative approaches to advance public health and well-being, protect public safety and foster economic strength and resiliency. Counties anticipate and adapt to challenges by thinking outside the box and demonstrating local leadership that makes a difference in people’s lives.

Under the leadership of NACo Immediate Past President Bryan Desloge, NACo embarked on an initiative to identify and share 100 examples of visionary county leadership that results in improving residents’ quality of life. Through this initiative, NACo worked with county leaders and partners to share best practices that bolster our nation’s ability to thrive county by county.